CR Blog

Agency makes good making-of film shock

Most ad agency making-of films are pretty painful to watch, so we're tipping the CR hat to Mother London for its film supporting new Ikea spot Playin' With My Friends, in which one of the cast of toys tells his story

In the ad (above) children's toys come to life as the kids prepare for a party in their Ikea-furnished house. It's a very sweet spot, directed by the ever-reliable Dougal Wilson. And as with other Ikea ads, there is also a 'music video' version – the track is a reworking of a BB King song by Welsh band Masters in France.

But what really marks it out is the 'Making Of' film (directed by Charlie Inman at BOSH). Instead of the usual back-slapping, 'aren't we amazing?' approach of these things, the Playin' With My Friends making-of is a pseudo-documentary following one of the cast – Darren the Bear – as he gets his chance to leave behind the drudgery of his cleaning job to appear in the ad. There are shades of Toy Story as we see the characters behind the character, but in the context of these things it's a really refreshing, original idea.

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